Eight Years Gone

"Where have you been all these years? Do you know how long I've been looking for you?" Howard Quinn yelled at me, stopping me in my path.His eyes gleamed maniacally as I looked worriedly at my son, Charlie Jerome, clearing the trash nearby.Howard's friends stood in front of me, glowering at me angrily."You heartless woman! How could you be so cruel?""Do you know that Howard had stayed single all these years because of you?"I ran away eight years ago when I was pregnant. Howard had never forgotten about me, constantly trying to find me. His friends were angry on his behalf."We thought you would be doing well after leaving Howard. Who would have thought that you'd end up being a cleaner?""That's right. If it weren't for Howard helping you, you were destined to end up being a cleaner anyway. This is what you get for running away!"Howard furrowed his brows, seemingly affected by the comments."Nina, how have you been the past eight years?"I clutched the red safety vest o

That evening, I attended a gala at the request of the person in charge, Evan Watson. He knew I was worried about Charlie, so he deliberately reminded me to bring Charlie along.At the gala, Evan had arranged an assistant to help me look after Charlie. "Thank you for getting Mr. Larson to help us the last time. When he arrives later, I'll properly thank him in person…"Halfway through, Evan had a call to attend to, so he left. I was about to look for Charlie when I bumped into Howard and his gang."My, my. Isn't this the cleaner, Ms. Jerome?""This isn't a gala for common folk. How could someone like you enter?"Howard's gaze darkened. "You shouldn't be here! Leave at once!"Howard used to think that I embarrassed him, so he never brought me to any formal social events. His friends naturally looked down on me as well."I saw her coming in with an older man. Do you think she slept with him to get a ticket in?"I furrowed my brows. Just when I was about to retort, we heard chi

Charlie was not a child who would tell on others, so he turned his face aside and said nothing.However, someone had already reported the incident to Ian before he arrived. He cast Cheryl and her son an icy gaze before questioning Howard."Jason Smalls hurt my son. I wonder what you're going to do about that, Mr. Quinn. If you're not willing to do anything, I would be happy to step in on your behalf."Howard defended Jason without any hesitation. "There must be some misunderstanding. Jason isn't that type of person."He was still defending someone other than his son.Ian snickered, glaring at Howard as if he was already dead."Mr. Quinn, you might be the CEO of the Quinn Corporation, but you don't even understand the basics of judging people. Let me properly show you who the people around you are."Someone handed the surveillance footage of the incident to Howard.On it, the video showed Jason deliberately provoking Charlie, calling him a bastard and a beggar. Charlie ignored h

Howard did not believe me one bit."Don't you dare try to drive a wedge between me and my parents. Nina, you're so much more scheming than I thought!"I chuckled. It was not that he did not believe me. He had no choice but not to believe me.After all, the company was not doing well. He needed his father to help me deal with the situation.How could he afford to quarrel with his father at that moment?He resumed his domineering attitude, saying in a commanding tone, "You're the one who spread the rumor in the office, right? You'd better go and clear this up. If not, I'll take legal action."His confidence was sometimes indeed quite baffling."How are you so sure that I'm the one who did it? Aren't you afraid that someone might stab you in the back?"Howard denied it without any hesitation. "Impossible! Cheryl would never do such a thing!"Although I no longer had any hope in Howard, I still could not help but feel upset for myself. Since he trusted Cheryl so much, why did he